Found Deceased PA - Dakota James, 23, Pittsburgh, 25 Jan 2017 #1

[jns207]

I do not believe anyone else appears in the screen capture. What people are interpreting as being "two people" is actually bushes and the rear side of a trash container.

Could you do the same with the area just down/left of your red rectangle? Your work is always phenomenal. It looks to be a white bag or purse sitting on the bench. I assumed the area in which people were seeing two people was along that bench, just left of the white bag. I can almost make out a person sitting on the bench and another person standing nearby, but my eyes may be playing tricks on me.


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[ChuckMaureen]

It seems people do know something. On this FB post under comments from KC there are reply comments from and April June Love.

https://www.facebook.com/missingdakotajames/?ref=page_internal&hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE&fref=nf

That person's postings on another FB page equate to something like this:

[FONT=&quot]offering readings, healing sessions, energy coaching & jewelry[/FONT]

I suspect that might be why the person feels LE seemed not to be interested in what they had to say...?

 

[ChuckMaureen]

bbm

Could you do the same with the area just down/left of your red rectangle? Your work is always phenomenal. It looks to be a white bag or purse sitting on the bench. I assumed the area in which people were seeing two people was along that bench, just left of the white bag. I can almost make out a person sitting on the bench and another person standing nearby, but my eyes may be playing tricks on me.

I see that now. It certainly appears to be a "white bag" placed on a bench and "two people" standing nearby. Unfortunately, they appear to be unidentifiable in the screen capture image. There is no camera on Penn Avenue aimed at that area (nothing on the lamp posts and there is an open-air street-level parking lot across the street).

 

[OnTheBreeze]

For locals, what do you think the odds are that somebody really drunk could fall into the water?

I find it unlikely that someone could trip and fall into the river. You would need to "climb" to go over the railing. I think I might have said the before but unless you purposely went down to the river or the trail you aren't really near the rivers edge you are above it.

I am not sure how pinging works but, is there a way you can look at your own phone and tell what tower you are pinging off of? Could I go outside and look at my phone and see where I am hitting? I find it hard to believe that the Grant street tower is his last ping when he is clearly on his phone in Katz Plaza, meaning it was on at that point.

 

[Smitty0514]

Hi ChuckMaureen. I believe there is a tannish purse or bag on the bench at the bottom left corner of the red square. If you're able to zoom up on that. Also, it looks like a lady in a long black coat with white or blond hair standing in front of the bench. Her back is towards the purse/bag on the bench. The handles of the purse/bag are black.

 

[ChuckMaureen]

A recently released screen capture of a frame of video shows DJ walking through Katz Plaza but what about video at the bridges? Where are those screen captures?

The distance from the location of DJ shown in the screen capture to the Sixth Street bridge is approximately 800 feet.

These images show the two possible paths he could have taken.

This path from Katz Plaza to north up Scott Place, west through the pass-thru to north up Barkers Place to Fort Duquesne Blvd.

This path from Katz Plaza to north up Scott Place directly to Fort Duquesne Blvd.

 

[Smitty0514]

Never mind. I see you already touched on this topic. Ugh. This is so awful. One last thing I was thinking. Maybe DJ was walking to the bridge that was the closest to his end point, which I'm assuming was his apartment. Rather than walking to the closest bridge to where he was? Also, I've lived in PGH for over ten years now, and I've worked downtown for ten years. I STILL lose my bearings when I'm walking around, especially at night. And after a few drinks etc. Maybe there was no method to his path?

 

[Usher737]

If I am buzzed from drinking (not drunk) and know I have to get up early for work the next day and it is almost midnight, I would take a short cut to get home faster. I would love to know if the Clemente bridge camera was working. Knowing if he made it to the bridge seems like the next logical step and piece to the puzzle.

On another note, would also like to know his phone activity while walking. The still photo seems to indicate to me that he was texting. Obviously, his battery still had life.

I also can't help but think whatever happened to him (accident or foul play) incapacitated him quickly enough so that he could not use his phone to call for help.

 

[ChuckMaureen]

For those wondering where in the screen capture image a "bag" and "people" might appear:

It appears there is a person standing close to a bag placed on a bench (although why anyone would place a bag on a bench seemingly behind and away from immediate grasp at that hour or anytime is beyond me).

There might be another person standing to the left of the bag/bench and somewhat closer to the camera but it is difficult to be positive using a still image. I doubt it was an intermission period since the plaza seems quite empty so, are they waiting for a ride? Either way, they likely are not involved in the case, maybe even to the point where they might not have known DJ was behind them or at least did not feel threatened by his presence: they're appear not to be tracking his movement.

 

[OnTheBreeze]

Okay a little bit of new info.. hopefully a news update soon. After 941 he went to images but then was seen at the intersection for liberty and Smithfield. The coworker left in an uber. Now they're going over survellance to see if got on the aT or tried to walk home

I have been looking but can't find it anywhere in the news anywhere about him going to Images. Did he really go there? I am trying to figure out times because I am totally confused because they keep reporting different times. According to the news he is the t station at 11:49 then he is at Katz Plaza at 11:46?

 

[ChuckMaureen]

bbm

If I am buzzed from drinking (not drunk) and know I have to get up early for work the next day and it is almost midnight, I would take a short cut to get home faster. I would love to know if the Clemente bridge camera was working. Knowing if he made it to the bridge seems like the next logical step and piece to the puzzle.

On another note, would also like to know his phone activity while walking. The still photo seems to indicate to me that he was texting. Obviously, his battery still had life.

I also can't help but think whatever happened to him (accident or foul play) incapacitated him quickly enough so that he could not use his phone to call for help.

A significant point in time is when the phone was powered off or otherwise lost power. To which cell location did the phone communicate its last event? The "last ping" event was reported as placing DJ near Grant Street... where along Grant was not reported.

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2015...with-new-nodes-towers-popping-up-around-town/

“You’ll see about 130 just in the city of Pittsburgh alone,” Costa says.

The "130" refers to "nodes", mini versions of a cell tower antenna and station.

It is reasonable to assume at least a few nodes (or even some full-sized systems) are concentrated within the Cultural District, given the number of people who typically attend those venues. The District includes the area around Katz Plaza but it would not be unusual if DJ's phone remained in communication with a Grant Street node if nodes closer to him were full (a peak number of phones already connected to those nodes).

 

[kryst4]

I believe they are referencing the two individuals to the left of the area which you highlighted. You can make out two outlines just to the left of the purse.


**updated*** I see you already updated that info. apologies!

 

[Elainera]

Never mind. I see you already touched on this topic. Ugh. This is so awful. One last thing I was thinking. Maybe DJ was walking to the bridge that was the closest to his end point, which I'm assuming was his apartment. Rather than walking to the closest bridge to where he was? Also, I've lived in PGH for over ten years now, and I've worked downtown for ten years. I STILL lose my bearings when I'm walking around, especially at night. And after a few drinks etc. Maybe there was no method to his path?

bbm - I agree. Add to that the possibility that he continued to look down at his phone while walking, he might have walked past the bridge, for example, or down to the water's edge to relieve himself, or got hit by a car, or fell, or who knows what.

Accidents happen when people walk and look at their phone, especially when drunk as well.

I also want to point out once more that access to the water is very easy (unrestricted) a little bit further down at the Three Rivers Heritage trail and around the Point State Park Fountain - less than half a mile from the 6th street bridge.

 

[Elainera]

A recently released screen capture of a frame of video shows DJ walking through Katz Plaza but what about video at the bridges? Where are those screen captures?

The distance from the location of DJ shown in the screen capture to the Sixth Street bridge is approximately 800 feet.

These images show the two possible paths he could have taken.

This path from Katz Plaza to north up Scott Place, west through the pass-thru to north up Barkers Place to Fort Duquesne Blvd.

This path from Katz Plaza to north up Scott Place directly to Fort Duquesne Blvd.

Isn't this just opposite the river bank where the dog hit yesterday?

 

[kryst4]

Does anyone else find it odd that his family has social media( facebook, twitter, etc), yet DJ does not? I keep coming back to all of the posts, yet he is not tagged in anything. For a 23 year old, just seems odd.

 

[lmadler]

Does anyone else find it odd that his family has social media( facebook, twitter, etc), yet DJ does not? I keep coming back to all of the posts, yet he is not tagged in anything. For a 23 year old, just seems odd.

I think fb is phasing out, personally

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[ChuckMaureen]

The river search continues today:

http://www.wpxi.com/news/police-sea...ednesday-for-missing-north-side-man/490995274

[h=1]Police searching Allegheny River Wednesday for missing North Side man[/h]

 

[Elainera]

I have been looking but can't find it anywhere in the news anywhere about him going to Images. Did he really go there? I am trying to figure out times because I am totally confused because they keep reporting different times. According to the news he is the t station at 11:49 then he is at Katz Plaza at 11:46?

Times on the cameras (or one of them) might have been slightly off, leading to confusing reporting?

 

[ChuckMaureen]

Isn't this just opposite the river bank where the dog hit yesterday?

The two possible paths that DJ may have taken lead directly toward the area where the cadaver dogs hit a scent, assuming DJ would have walked westward from either "alley" exit on to Fort Duquesne Blvd.

 

[ChuckMaureen]

A new twist? Might be relevant, might not.

http://www.pghlesbian.com/2017/02/10000-reward-offered-to-find-missing-gay-pittsburgh-man-dakotajames/